I was married to Rob Porter. Here's what John Kelly doesn't get about abuse. By Jennie Willoughby
March 9 at 1:48 PM
Jennie Willoughby was the second wife of former White House staff secretary Rob Porter.
It has been one month since the story became public of the abuse I suffered at the hands of my ex-husband, Rob Porter, along with accusations from his first wife, Colbie Holderness. Yet the White House has still not acknowledged our names or apologized to us for mishandling the situation.
In fact, just last week, White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly added insult to injury when he explained that he had discounted the allegations against Rob as “just the accusation of a messy divorce,” including “some level of emotional abuse.” Kelly said he came out with a strong statement defending Rob because I “made no mention of any type of physical abuse.”
I can barely contain my indignation.
My problem with Kelly’s remarks is twofold. First, he and other senior White House officials defending Rob disregarded substantial evidence of physical abuse — even leaving aside that photograph of Colbie’s black eye.
I described to FBI agents and to reporters how Rob dragged me from the shower during a fit of rage early in our marriage. I told police — and repeated to the agents who interviewed me — how, when we were separated, Rob punched through the glass on my front door in anger, resulting in a temporary protective order being issued against him. Information about those episodes was contained in the first stories that appeared about Rob’s behavior. All that came before Kelly issued his laudatory statement.
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/i-was-married-to-rob-porter-heres-what-john-kelly-doesnt-get-about-abuse/2018/03/09/58bddfa2-23a5-11e8-94da-ebf9d112159c_story.html
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